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Bird of Prey, Ukraine’s domestically produced unmanned aviation system, in a photo published on March 26, 2025. (Ukraine’s Defense Ministry / Telegram)
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Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced on March 26 that it has approved the domestically produced Bird of Prey unmanned aviation system for combat operations.

The system was developed based on battlefield experience, optimizing its effectiveness against enemy vehicles and fortified positions, the ministry said.

The drones are equipped with payloads capable of striking heavy equipment such as tanks, armored personnel carriers, and self-propelled artillery, as well as fortified dugouts.

"The Bird of Prey has already proven its effectiveness in destroying enemy armored vehicles and fortified firing positions," the statement reads.

Kyiv has expanded its domestic drone production over the past year, integrating drones into reconnaissance and combat operations. On Feb. 9, the Defense Ministry launched the "Drone Line" initiative to accelerate battlefield deployment.

Ukraine has also developed long-range missile-drone hybrids, including the Palianytsia and Peklo models, which use turbojet engines as cruise missile alternatives. President Volodymyr Zelensky has set a target of producing at least 30,000 long-range drones in 2025.

How the next generation of Ukrainian drone pilots are being trained at UAV schools
Ukraine’s drone wizardry has drawn the attention of militaries around the world. In addition to an ever-growing drone industry, the rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has necessitated new education. Since 2022, a crop of drone schools has popped up around Ukraine to train drone pilots to fight…

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Azov ex-commander on the need to reform Ukraine's army.

The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell sits down with the former commander of Ukraine's Azov Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych, to discuss the situation on the front line after three years of Russia's full-scale war, why he thinks Ukraine should change its culture of military leadership, why the U.S. army doctrine wouldn't work for Russia's war against Ukraine, and shares his takes on Russia's next steps after a potential ceasefire.
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